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The Silk Route Spy: The True Story of an Indian Double Agent

by Enakshi Sengupta.

HarperCollins.

Pages 209. ~299

‘The Silk Route Spy’ is the true story of a pre-Independence era double agent. Throughout his life, Nandlal Kapur was weighed down with the burden of being a traitor, a British spy. No one knew about his contribution towards the Independence movement, a work that he carried on for almost 20-odd years, as he traversed from country to country. The book takes readers deep into the heart of the freedom struggle through the eyes of a man whose loyalties were as complex as those times.

The Fifteen

by Angellica Aribam and

Akash Satyawali.

Hachette India.

Pages 320. ~799

This book profiles the lives of 15 awe-inspiring women who were part of the 299-member Indian Constituent Assembly, tasked with formulating the document that would soon govern the largest democracy in the world. It provides the reader with a glimpse into their personal lives, struggles, worldviews, and their contributions to nation-building. Besides familiar names such as Sarojini Naidu and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, it profiles some forgotten ones too.

The Empire of the Cholas

by Siddharth N Vijayaraghavan.

Rupa.

Pages 248. ~395

In the middle of an undulating piece of land, a colossal structure emerges. It unites a land, creates harmony among a diverse population and even brings together lovers. This Big Temple breaks through the upper layers of the atmosphere in Thanjavur and transfixes the Chola Empire and its people. Weaving together the fictional and the factual, ‘Empire of the Cholas’ narrates the legend of the construction of the Big Temple in Thanjavur and the Chola Empire. The author weaves a story of power, vengeance and love.

Into the Forest

by Avtar Singh.

Westland.

Pages 168. ~499

There are three disappearances; they could all be ‘crimes’, but only one of them ends up in murder. Germany, with its unique fractures, is the perfect setting. This story could only be about women. Yet, this is also a novel about the human condition anywhere, everywhere. Set in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic, Avtar Singh’s ‘Into the Forest’ is about loneliness and isolation, migration and belonging. It is also about how times of stress both halt as well as accelerate human connection.